Children's care: family centred but child focused

This article was prompted by the controversy surrounding the decision to recommend the vaccination of children and young people against COVID-19, and discussions about the process for gaining consent for this. These discussions refocused attention on the way that health care is delivered to these groups and, in particular, on who should consent and under what circumstances, and for whose benefit interventions are given. For children's nurses, this goes to the very essence of what nurses do and how they understand children's nursing. In addition, it reignited the discussion about the context of family-centred care, and how it will move forward in an age where children's rights as individuals are increasingly recognised. This article aims to discuss this in the context of current and previous legislation and guidance. It is important that nurses remember that at all times they have both a professional and a legal duty of care (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2023). Judgements about these require a broad knowledge of these areas and other influencing factors, which this article will summarise.